The Canadian technology, which Cambridgeshire-based Wiser has exclusive rights to in Europe, has been used in Japan and North America for over ten years, where it has been known as the “BulbEater”.
The compact machinery, described by operations manager Adrian Marriott as “equivalent in size to a tea trolley,” is designed to be easily manoeuvred so that there is no need to move fluorescent lighting around, the company believes this will seriously reduce the risk of accidents involving the lights.
Mr Marriott said: “The TubeEater is easy to move around a site, or even between sites, so rather than moving the tubes around and risking accidents a company can go to the tubes.” The TubeEater is also fitted with an internal air filtration system which removes the mercury vapour, meaning emissions are lower than the Occupational Emission Limit (OEL).
When the WEEE Directive legislation is passed the eventual recycling target for fluorescent lights is to recover a minimum of 80% by weight of lamps by the end of 2006. The current rate of recycling is approximately 10%.
The TubeEater system was invented by Canadian lighting contractor Dana Emmerson who became partners with Tokyo based Maky engineering to develop the original TubeEater. The Mark 2000, Wiser's current model which they are now marketing, has been in use for four years.
Service
Wiser currently provides two services involving the TubeEater system, either the direct purchase of a TubeEater or a hire scheme.
The TubeEater currently costs 3,200 to purchase with an average running cost of 23p per fluorescent tube, Mr Marriott said; “This includes drum collection and delivery to a registered “sustain a light” partner, which we do ourselves. The 3,200 also includes a brief training session on how to use the machine.”
For smaller companies that produce fewer tubes and therefore do not find it economically viable to purchase a TubeEater, the company offers site visits. On these visits the company charges 55p per fluorescent light crushed, and one of Wiser's employees will operate the machine.
To ensure safe storage of the tubes the company also offers a “TubeStore,” a custom designed storage facility. These are available at a cost of 275, or to lease for 12.99 a month. Mr Marriott said: “The TubeStore holds around 170 fluorescent lights, and is fixed to the wall. The tubes are in an upright position to minimise space use and breakages.”
Fluorescent tubes are fed into the machine to be broken up before falling into a bag to be removed for recycling, the mercury is extracted at this point. The bags are collected in a drum, which can hold the equivalent of 1,000 fluorescent lights.
The company has been running its own crushing service for a year and now see two different markets for its new product. The first being waste companies who purchase multiple TubeEaters and provide their own service, and those companies and organisations such as hospitals who will buy direct for their own use.
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